All posts in Life

Robinson Crusoe had the right idea when he washed up on a desert isle — enjoy the peace and quiet, and beauty, without the crowd and tourist traps that infest so many island vacation spots.

You, too, can find an island getaway that isn’t flooded with travelers where beauty and serenity can be had all day, and all night.

Nosy Ankao, off the coast of Madagascar

Ferry boats cross over to this gem of an island every hour during the fall and winter. There are a few luxury hotels, but mostly it’s pristine white sand beaches with a hypnotic view of the Indian ocean, and little shacks on the shore that serve up spicy shrimp timbales with rice on a banana leaf for less than two dollars.

Palau, near the Philippines

This island nation hasn’t done much about the tourist industry, and so its many unspoiled beaches and friendly inhabitants make it worth the long plane ride. Snorkelers say the coral reefs are the most unspoiled in the world.

Coral Caye Island, Belize

It faces the Atlantic, but Coral Caye, off the coast of Belize, feels more like the Caribbean — with conch chowder and sago croissants served up day and night. The island has few hotels, but many b-and-b’s — and some of the best shoreline fishing in all of South America.

One of the best things that you do that helps increase excitement for your newest addition is that of setting up the nursery. This can help make soon to be parents more excited as the baby becomes more of a reality than ever before. Styles of nurseries differ but in 2019 the modern nursery look has become as popular as ever before. The following are the reasons it has become popular along with what a modern nursery requires.

In the past there has been pink or blue in a nursery but with modern nurseries these have become more neutral colors like that of greys. The colors as well as the patterns of bedding need to be considered as well as you do not want contrasting styles in one room. According to old tales the color of the room can even impact the personality of your child as they grow up.

Modern nurseries also incorporate letters that can light up and give the room a custom feel. For those parents that know the sex and name of the upcoming baby, this can be a great way to impress all that see the nursery.

The modern nursery is going to continue to gain popularity in today’s world as simple works when it comes to children. Take the time to see what features you would like to see in your nursery today!

The time leading up to having a baby is exciting but also stressful unfortunately as there is plenty to do. Baby prep is essential far before your due date as you might have a child that comes a few weeks early and you need to be ready. This will help with the first few days of being a parent which are some of the most tiring of your life. A proactive approach is the best thing you can possess during this time as you have to get a lot done. The following are things that you need to include on your baby prep bucket lists.

Go Out To Eat….A Lot

The one thing many people miss is being able to go out to eat on a whim with a new child. Go out to eat frequently as this is something that is not an option without getting a babysitter during the first few months of parenthood. The positive aspect of this is that pregnant women have no problem with going out to eat a lot as they have an insatiable appetite when eating for two.

Have Friends Over Frequently

Your social circle is going to shrink after you have a child as you will not be able to go out and do the same things for a while. Have friends over frequently for a party or just dinner as friends could be helping out with the baby when you just want to have a nice night out without the baby.

Use a Registry To Get Nearly All of The Baby Shopping Done

Online registries are great for those parents that need to do baby prep shopping. Put the items on there you want and do not think that asking for something big is presumptuous as many grandparents would be happy to purchase a crib or stroller.

As you can see baby prep has a lot to do with enjoying yourself and cherishing time together as a couple. Do not underestimate how much a baby will change your life.

1. Take A Travel Companion
   

The easiest way to cut down on expenses is by having a travel companion. This way you can share accommodation, transport and meals. You might even get deals for sharing. You will be splitting the costs of most things making the experience a lot less costly.

Be careful who you take as a travel companion. This needs to be someone that has a lot of the same interests as you do. You need to get along quite well with this person so that the trip doesn’t become unpleasant later on.

2. Go Cheap On Accommodation.

If you’re trying to see the world but you don’t want to break the bank you might have to compromise on accommodation. Hotels are the obvious choice for tourists. They’re recognised institutions with great service but that service comes at a price.

A much cheaper option would be staying in hostels while travelling. You will be sharing dormitories with other travellers so you won’t have a lot of privacy but you’ll have a place to sleep at a fraction of the price of a hotel.

The next best thing is a bed and breakfast. You will have your own room and each room might have its own ensuite bathroom which offers you a lot more privacy. You also get breakfast which you should take full advantage of. It saves you from spending extra money on things like snacks.

3. Experience Local Cuisine
   

When it comes to food, tourists often prefer to stick with what is familiar. So they will seek out a recognisable fast-food chain or look for a fancy looking restaurant in hopes that the food will not disappoint. These aren’t viable options when you’re travelling on a budget.

Save some money and immerse yourself in the culture by trying out the authentic local cuisine. Go to markets and support the street food vendors, or seek out low-cost local restaurants.

4. Negotiate
   

In some countries, you can negotiate the price of almost everything. This even applies in some malls. Haggling is part of the culture.

If you team up with other travellers you can ask for a bulk pricing on things like tours or accommodation. If you’re staying in one place for a week or longer you might be able to negotiate for a lower price on accommodation when you check in.

5. Timing
   

Often times how much you spend on travelling is subject to when you are travelling. For instance, if you travel during off-season times you will pay less for things like flights and accommodation than you would if you travelled during peak times. The same goes for what time of the day you are travelling.

If you travel between off-peak hours your flights will be a lot less costly. You will save money by flying indirectly and flying to lesser known airports as well.

Book your tickets well in advance and look for travelling deals or discounts. If you book tickets for tourist attractions beforehand you will be paying less than you would be paying on the day.

6.      Hit The Road
   

If you’re staying within the borders of your own country the most economical way to travel is in the comfort of your own car. Get a few of your friends together, load up the car and hit the road. You can split the costs of petrol rather than buying a return plane ticket for each of you. Additionally, you can share accommodation costs, or even better, save money on accommodation and camp out in tents.

To prevent any unforeseen expenses while you are out on the road, make sure that your car is in a good condition and that your insurance payments are up to date. if you know you’re going on a trip and you are trying to save some extra money you can shop around for car insurance that suits your pocket and save some money there as well. This gives you peace of mind while you’re on the road if anything happens.

These are just a few tips on how you can travel and see the world without breaking the bank. It’s not how much you spend that makes the trip enjoyable. It’s the experiences and the memories you make that counts.

The past decade has seen the ascendency of pastel colors in the home. Living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, all have been filled with the pale and neutral shades of formerly deep and earthy colors — in pursuit of what? Karma? Meaningfulness? Focus? Reduction of the carbon footprint? Today it’s hard to tell why America went for pastel house colors in such a big way, because the big bad bold colors are making a decided comeback, and people are loving it and wondering why it ever went away in the first place. IKEA has been one of the instrumental fashion influences to bring back dark colors, especially dark green. The Nordic nations never lost their love and respect for a good dark green — they use it indoors and love to exhibit on the outside of their houses as well — either as a vibrant trim or as a color-coordinated wall coating. A home with dark green, inside and/or outside, is a home full of personality.

In the bedroom a dark green, in the vicinity of forest green to emerald green, is a perfect accompaniment to the natural accents of wood grain bedsteads and dressers. Add some white trim to break the monotony, with a shading of pink (as a nod to the not-quite-extinct mania for pastels) and the bedroom becomes a soothing and steady palette that helps the tired body and weary mind slip under the covers and sleep deep.

One of the world’s top luxury consignors, The RealReal, is unequivocally shifting the way we shop, accessorize and experience fashion as a whole. The company knows all too well that luxury goods will always be a global hot commodity. They want others to understand that their pre-owned luxury goods can have a resale value of up to 80 percent. The company has positively encouraged its members to resell what they no longer use instead of discarding it in the trash. This not only helps its members make a good return on their investments, but it also helps to promote recycling.

As of today, the RealReal has over 9 million members and is reportedly worth more than $450 million. They have consigned over 8 million luxury items including ultra-rare pieces by Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Celine, and Rolex through its online, brick-and-mortar and pop-up shops. The luxury consignor’s chief merchant for its San Francisco office, Rati Levesque, focuses on educating its merchants on what’s currently trending up or spiraling down. She uses real-time data so the sales team can decide what item’s resale price should be raised, or what item should be stored away until it’s trending again.

The world of fashion is very fickle and ever-changing, a top designer’s piece that was once deemed outdated can make its way to the top again in an instant. And that is exactly what this company wants you to remember; your luxury goods will always have the potential to stay marketable. Levesque, an economics major, used to own an upscale boutique before she helped launched the RealReal back in 2011. The real-time data that she constantly updates her sales team with are eventually used to help each consignor successfully resell their goods. It’s up to them to let the consignors know that those fabulous pairs of Gucci boots are now selling like hotcakes, and now is the perfect time to give up a pair if they’re no longer wearing them.

Levesque also researches the past history of any type of luxury item that was ever consigned through the company. If an item didn’t sell well in the past, it was simply because it was overpriced. They would have to price these items a bit lower in hopes to see them move out of their ever-increasing inventory. She explained that everything showcased in-store is also available online during the same time. Due to this feature, the brick-and-mortar stores have practically turned into miniature warehouses where items can be picked, packed and shipped out if needed.

To help the sales team keep a constant eye on their inventory, the company relies on an RFID chip that is placed inside every tag. They can easily locate a vintage Louis Vuitton dress to have it shipped out immediately if it sells online. Or, if a customer takes an item in the fitting room, it will conveniently be placed on temporary hold online. The company has hired a team of stylists at their brick-and-mortar stores in New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA, to help push out inventory. They are trained to converse with their customers, in a rather tactful way, to let them know that what they’re buying will still hold its resale value and that they can make a nice profit when they’re done using it. It is a win-win situation that millions worldwide can’t help but agreed with.

Has your garage door been playing tricks on you lately?  It sometimes acts lazy to let you out and other times don’t close properly? These are the common garage door issues that homeowners in US, experience every now and then. In most cases the dying batteries are the common culprits. Issues with external opener, remote opener or main opener batteries could make garage doors undependable in no time. In such cases, simply replacing the batteries can bring back the garage door into its earlier working stage.

However, in many situations, it is not the batteries that are responsible for the problems. Sometimes, even after changing the batteries the garage door won’t open or close properly. There might be other some issues that are affecting its performance. Here are some of the major garage door issues highlighted by the experts at J & J Garage Door & Electric Openers; a leading garage door repair service in Algonquin, who also provide their services in places like Palatine, Elgin, Deerfield, Northbrook, Mount Prospect, McHenry, Cary, Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove.

Let us discuss some of the major issues that need professional attention.

 

• Doors Open But Won’t Close

 

Usually, this happens when an object on the ground blocks the path of the invisible beam transmitted by the sensors of the s. However, it can also happen as a result of debris build-up on the tracks or sensors getting misaligned; both of which can prevent the rollers from moving forward to shut down the garage door.

 

• Strange Sounds

 

Have you been listening to unusual noises every time the garage door opens and closes? This usually happens when the torsion spring of lifting cables gets broken. Since, the springs operate under immense stress; this causes unwanted noise and could pose a safety risk too.

 

• Problem with Tracks

 

The rollers and tracks are in operation for number of times in a day, which makes them susceptible to wear and tear. Most of the times the tracks fall out of alignment or the bolts in the brackets come loose. Sometimes, the tracks get damaged after getting bumped by the car while parking, causing additional strain in operation. All these situations can cause serious issues with the door. Contact a garage door installation and repair service before it’s too late.

 

• Issues with Rollers

 

Rollers come in different types, steel, nylon and plastic. All these have different life-expectancies. When installing the garage doors, people pay least attention to the material of rollers. Rollers of the garage doors need to be cleaned and lubricated every year to maintain efficiency. Not doing so shall increase the chances of having serious problems in future.

 

• Broken/Eroded Seals

 

Broken and eroded seals in garage doors act as entryways for pests. They are harmful for the stuff kept in the garage. If left unaddressed, soon they’ll make their way to the interiors, causing a huge amount of damage and mess. One has to stop their entry right at the garage door.

In case you have any of the above problems, it is best to call a garage door installation and repair service in your area. These people usually have years of experience dealing with all the problems mentioned above. They’ll also be able to answer all your queries related to garage doors and their maintenance.

Traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences we may embark on, and once returning home, many feel they are no longer the same. Through travel, we begin to see, taste, hear, and love the world in different ways. We discover artifacts of history and come to experience new landscapes that truly take our breath away. We learn that despite our obvious differences, we share similar values and are interconnected no matter how far away we may be from one another.

While our values are universal, the language barrier continues to limit the relationships we may form with one another. This is something Ryan Zhang, Founder of Langogo AI, has set out to change. Embarking on a trip to Japan with his wife, the pair soon came to realize that while they were able to travel among geographies, they were unfortunately unable to travel among cultures.

Becoming A Part Of the Conversation

Fortunately, Langogo’s translation device http://bit.ly/2P6kq8E will let you do just that. Fuelled by artificial intelligence, the handheld device makes traveling smarter, opening a universal conversation with the power of technology. Combining Neural Machine Translation, Cloud-Sim Technology and AI assistance, the device is capable of connecting users to sixty different languages in less than one second. It includes two built-in microphones and noise canceling technology to produce the most accurate translations and to empower new two-way conversations. Connect with locals in English, Spanish, Catalan, Chinese, Danish, German, Finnish, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, among many other languages. Become smarter on the go and enjoy your travel experience with peace of mind and confidence.

Translating Better Experiences

Langogo’s AI assistant, Euri is your new “go-to” travel companion. Now, you may discover exchange rates, directions and trip advice on the go. With all of the information you may ever need at your fingertips, you are now able to become fully immersed in the culture and enjoy a worry-free travel experience.

Connecting Anywhere With Anyone

In the past, we as travelers were merely passive observers. Now, we may connect, and create relationships with practically anyone. With its own built-in global Internet, Langogo makes these transformative connections possible anytime anywhere, allowing users to roam in 72 countries without a local sim card. “We are Voice AI experts and travel enthusiasts. Langogo not only helps you connect with people around the world in different languages, but it also helps you stay connected to the Internet wherever you are,” says Zhang.

Langogo is the world’s very first pocket translator with global-wifi and it is about to change the travel experience for the better. “I expect that you’ll see people talking with each other with Langogo when you travel cross-border in the next two years,” he says. Taking a taxi, ordering food, or shopping at the local market, we are now speaking the same language and capable of understanding one another more deeply than ever before.

Join The Global Conversation

No longer lost in translation, we may begin to find ourselves and the ways we are all the same. We may make our travels smarter and our connections deeper, understanding the fundamental values spoken across the globe. With the power of technology, we are ready to join in on the conversation and remove the language barrier for good.

 

There’s no need to put up with the winter blahs this year. Travel agencies, resorts, and airlines have all teamed up to offer the best tropical getaway deals in years. It doesn’t take much searching to find the right fun in the sun venue for singles, couples, and families. And if you book your flights now for vacations in January and February you can save significant money. Put these hotspots on your list:

Pattaya, Thailand

There are over 20 miles of pristine beaches surrounding this lively town on the Gulf of Thailand. For adults, the nightlife is nearly as vibrant and diverse as in Bangkok itself. For couples and families, the beaches offer endless swimming, sunbathing, and shell collecting opportunities.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Kid friendly Punta Cana caters to the SpongeBob Squarepants and Mutant Teenage Ninja Turtles crowd, with popular cartoon characters available for interactions and photos on the beach, at the pool, and even around the conch bar — where they serve up the best conch stew this side of paradise.

Orlando, Florida

If you book far enough in advance you can get discounts on everything; hotel rooms, Disney World passes, and Inland Waterway tours, to name just a few. If you come down in February you can spend a day in a real citrus orchard picking oranges, lemons, and even kumquats to take home or to trade for gift cards to local restaurants and boutiques.

Dating people of a different race used to carry a stigma, but that stigma has long since faded away. This stigma causes people to shy away from dating people of another race, with black people being afflicted as much as anyone else. Fortunately, the stigmas of old are finally becoming well known for how ridiculous they have always been.

While you may not have realized this until now, Afroromance is one of the best interracial dating sites you can visit. Check it out today, and learn what you have been missing.  

Dating Other Races and Having Unique Experiences

A great dating experience does not need to conform to a certain culture’s usual expectations. Much like the traditional “dinner and a movie” can seem lame to a more experienced and cultured person, doing the same kinds of dates with the same race over and over again can get boring and cliché. Fortunately, dating someone from a different race allows you to experience entirely new types of dates, where you do different things.

In addition to having new experiences, you can get new thoughts on similar experiences. When a person from a different cultural tradition and you see the same sight, you can talk about how differently you interpret it from your different backgrounds. These backgrounds and their differences can make for some very interesting conversations, if you allow them to.

Breaking Down the Ridiculous Stigmas

There are ancient and absurd stigmas that have circulated among some cultures about the black community for many years, and these are completely wrong in nearly all occasions. The notion of people being “ghetto” only applies to a particular subset, most of whom would not be online dating in the first place. As well, when you really meet people from the black community, you learn how absurd the stigmas were in the first place.

Many young women and men are career professionals who want to build great relationships, have families and live in wonderful neighborhoods. These are the kind of people you should be dating, if you are serious about getting with someone permanently. And if you happen to just want to keep it casual and short term, this is also an option in many cases.

People are People

One of the weirdest and worst parts of the modern world is the idea that when a person comes from a different cultural tradition, they have to think of the world in a vastly different way. This could not be further from the truth in almost every case. People are basically the same around the world, and no matter what their skin color may be.

When you begin dating people of a different race, all of the stereotypes begin making less and less sense. By the time you have dated half a dozen people from a different race, the stereotypes seem entirely unfounded in nearly every case. Without racial stereotypes to hold you back, you can begin to see the fact that everyone can have a great time and potentially build something real with anyone else.